Cinema
by WittyWallflower
Summary: After being locked up for so long, Belle knows little of life in this world. Gold takes Belle to see her first movie.
1. Chapter 1

Mr. Gold watched Belle's curls tumbled back to reveal her creamy neck as her eyes lifted to the movie theater's marquee.

"_Twilight_. Is it based upon the book? It's a popular title at the library but I haven't read it. Ruby told me what the story is about. After the Ogre wars back home, I'm surprised people around here still have such a fascination with deadly creatures." But she smiled her willingness to see it anyway.

Gold would have vastly preferred to introduce Belle to cinema with a film of some substance. _Gone With the Wind_ perhaps. He smiled in memory of the weekend she had been utterly lost to the world while devouring Margaret Mitchell's novel.

Sadly Storybrooke's tiny two-screen theater didn't offer much by way of movie classics. He'd only opted for the teen romance because the other option was an equally outdated spy thriller. It did look exciting but he didn't relish the idea of his dear Belle confronted by such violence and death on a 20 foot tall screen.

"So I understand." He placed a guiding hand on her back as he opened the door to the theater, gently ushering her inside.

They discussed other books that were oft-requested in her library as they waited in line to purchase tickets. Where he could, Gold told Belle which of the stories had been immortalized on film. He hadn't seen most of them, but one really couldn't avoid being bombarded by advertisements for each new release.

Belle tried not to blanch visibly when the ticket vendor gave the price. She hadn't had many occasions to spend this world's form of currency yet, but she still found the price exorbitant. They could share a meal and a few glasses of wine at Granny's at that cost, with perhaps enough left to split a slice of pie. But Gold handed over the paper money calmly, taking their tickets and ushering her towards a concession counter.

Noting the prices of the various snacks on the menu board, Belle attempted to demure politely when he asked what she would like. It was unreasonable to pay so much for a treat when they planned to have dinner afterward. He would insist upon paying for that as well, she knew, and it's not as if he spent all his time spinning straw into gold in this world. But he would have none of her denials and Belle had to admit that the aroma filling the room was quite tempting.

"You cannot see a film without popcorn, dearie. It is part of the experience, and it is the _experience_ I particularly wish to share with you." A moment later she found herself the possessor of a large box of candy that rattled when she shook it, and a cup filled to the brim with a partially frozen beverage in a bright shade of blue. Gold carried a large paper tub of fluffy popcorn drizzled with butter.

A teenaged attendant took their tickets and they passed into a partially dim room full of tiered seats.

"Which seats are ours?" Belle inquired as she tried not to gape at the size of the screen. She wasn't to know it was unimpressive as far as movie screens go; it quite dwarfed even the largest television Belle had seen so far.

"They are not assigned. We may sit wherever we choose. Every row will offer an excellent view. So…" Gold offered her a half-smile "You may choose. Where would you prefer?"

Belle glanced about, unsure of how to decide. If each seat offered an equal view, it didn't seem to matter. She was about to point at random when a thought occurred to help her choose.

"If it's all the same, I think i should like to sit up front here. I wouldn't want to miss anything." She held his eyes, not glancing down at the cane in his hand. As much as Belle wished to spare him the discomfort of climbing stairs unnecessarily, she also was loathe to wound his pride. He had been nothing but kind to her since she had been released from Regina's prison.

Belle knew his reputation, the things he had done before she had met him, as Rumpelstiltskin, in her father's castle a world away. As Mr Gold though, he seemed to be a quiet-living man, harsh only to those who got his way or tried to hurt her. Though she had a healthy dose of fear at his power, it did wound her to witness the spite the other townspeople had for Mr Gold because of Rumpelstiltskin's actions. She felt a new world ought to give a man a new chance.

They seated themselves in the middle of the foremost row. Belle sampled the icy blue drink he'd purchased for her and found it a lovely treat. Far too sweet to indulge in more than occasionally, but lovely and refreshing.

"Careful, dearie. That will make your head sore from the cold if you drink it too quickly." Mr Gold murmured as she took another swallow. He proffered the popcorn to her. "Best balance it with a bit of warm popcorn."

She grinned as she took a dainty handful, popping a few kernels into her mouth. Gold watched as her smile widened.

"This is delicious. I tried a bit of popcorn Ruby made one evening, but it wasn't nearly as good as this. Perhaps it is good she doesn't do the cooking at Granny's."

"Oh, I am sure her popcorn was quite adequate. You see, there is a very special magic in a movie theater. Popcorn becomes a great delicacy, every beverage quenches more than it would anywhere else, and every film seems a masterpiece." He rather hoped that would be the case today.

The Storybrooke Cinema rarely changed its offerings; surely everyone in town had seen this movie by now. Gold hoped that, and the 2:14 matinee showtime, explained why no other viewers had joined them. Though he certainly didn't mind the time alone with Belle.

She reached for another handful of popcorn but paused, remembering the box of candy on her lap.

"_Junior Mints_. Is there a Senior Mint as well?" sBellesmiled saucily at him and he had to grin at her little joke.

"Perhaps, but I believe the senior mint goes by the name of York." He made a mental note to introduce her to peppermint patties first chance he got. "Those are best saved till last. The sweet chocolate and mint are even better after all this popcorn." Perhaps he could convince her to share a few with him. If he stole a kiss later, she would find it far more pleasing than if he tasted of salt and butter.

Taking his advice, Belle set the box aside just as the lights dimmed to darkness. The screen lit up and trailers for movies long since released onto dvd marched across it. Gold didn't note which films were being advertised, his eyes were on Belle's as they shined in reflection of the dancing lights before her. Yes, he had made a good decision in bringing her here today.

As the opening theme started, Gold turned his attention to the screen. But the next moment his hand brushed Belle's as they both reached for popcorn. She started to pull back but he tipped the tub towards her, encouraging her to help herself first. He smiled, his teeth gleaming in the darkness, as she quickly took a heaping double handful of the tasty treat.

Funny, Belle though to herself, she had heard Ruby complain that chivalry was dead in this world but was it really? BShe hadn't seen enough of it to tell if Gold could indeed be consider chivalrous or if his affection for her made him inordinately kind. She had a feeling Ruby and the other women of town wouldn't find anything particularly pleasing about his manners.

But as the movie began she put aside her musings and munched contentedly, riveted by the sights before her. It took a moment to get used to watching 20 foot tall faces speak but Belle was always one to get swept away and absorbed in any story. She didn't even notice when Mr Gold, settling himself more comfortably in his seat, shifted close enough that his shoulder brushed hers. Belle simply leaned against him and reached for more popcorn, her eyes never leaving the screen.

To Be Continued.


	2. Chapter 2

His senses tuned to her presence, Gold noticed the second she seemed to become restless. She turned to him a few times and once he saw her lips part as if to speak. Seizing the opportunity he leaned close to her, inhaling the fragrance of her hair as he whispered,

"Something wrong, dearie?"

His warm breath feathering over her skin had given her goosebumps, but when he spoke and his lips brushed the curve of her ear, she couldn't stop the delicate shudder of response. She collected herself quickly, trying to remember what had been in her thoughts before.

"Is it okay to ask questions?" she spoke very softly "I would imagine talking is discouraged as if it were a stage play, but there are no live actors, no one here but us.."

Gold tried not to let that thought distract him, sitting back in his chair to remove the temptation to kiss her tender earlobe. "Any answers I have are at your disposal, Belle. You're quite right that social conventions frown upon talking in a theater while a film is playing, but as you say, there is no one here to disturb."

Belle watched the screen for a moment as she framed her thoughts.

"Are all movies so… blue?" His eyes flew to the screen and he realized he hadn't noticed before the bluish cast of the lighting in so many scenes. "Or are there places in this world that do look like that?"

"Neither, in fact. It is actually a bit of a trick used by those who make films. Certain hues suggest certain moods in film, they set the tone so the audience immediately knows how to feel about a scene. And also it is a cheap visual trick, this blue is often placed next to something orange. The sharp contrast between the two colors gives the whole a more striking appearance."

Belle nibbled more popcorn as she processed this, watching the screen. He could practically see the gears turn in her brain each time she spotted an example of the teal/orange contrast. The pickup truck. The lamp in the main character's bedroom. Now he'd done it. She'd never be able to watch another film without looking for it all the time.


	3. Chapter 3

However she did become distracted by the story and was soon properly engrossed. It was a pleasure to watch her intelligent eyes dart around the large screen, picking up every detail. At times, those eyes glued to the screen, she would reach blindly for more popcorn and Gold would discreetly slip it beneath her questing fingers. The lights from the screen reflected off her skin, making her glow with an almost ethereal beauty. In his dark suit, Gold felt as if he were melting into the shadows of the dim theater, shrinking back from the light of his Belle who gleamed like a pearl.

Unaccustomed to the fast and furious pace of modern action sequences, she jumped occasionally at abrupt changes in camera angle or dramatic scene cuts. He could tell she was enjoying herself though as she held her breath in suspense at an action sequence. It had been many years since her adventures in their world. Eventually he allowed his attention to drift from her and nearly jumped when he felt her lips near _his_ ear.

"'Prom'?" She whispered an inquiry. His spasmodic swallow and the way his grip tightened on the armrest didn't escape her and a corner of her mouth twitched in a smile.

"Err, yes, a tradition for students. Many schools hold dances throughout the year for students to socialize but prom is considered special, an important event in the lives of young people. Dress is formal so it is a bit like a ball. There is a great deal of fuss and preparation for it, particularly with young ladies. Perhaps once a year my shop is visited by a young lady interested in antique jewelry, determined to find something unique enough to outshine all of her friends."

"Sounds very like a ball indeed then. And a guest must be invited?"

"Not by the hostess. An invitation is not strictly required, but the children tend to attend the event paired off for the dancing. One could choose to attend alone, i presume."

"Why doesn't she choose to do so? Or ask someone herself?"

"The social convention is that the_ young man_ will ask the young woman he most prefers if she will accompany him. "

"Hm." He turned to look at her and found her closer than he had expected. Their faces only inches apart, the movie theater aroma of popcorn and cheap upholstery was overpowered by the clean, elegant scent of his dear Belle. His eyes fell to her lips, but she failed to notice this as she mused before stating her opinion of the matter.

"I don't know if I care for that convention. She would be left in suspense to wait and _hope_ that the boy she most prefers will ask her. What if he doesn't? Suppose he doesn't have the courage? Then they would _both_ be cursed to spend a special night without each other. I much prefer to be in charge of my own destiny. Still, I suppose attending this prom with an escort might compare to a girl attending a ball back home without a full dance card. No one wants to spend an evening alone with their back to a wall."

As she sat back, he wondered at that. Surely his beautiful Belle had never been a wallflower. She was so sweet and engaging; in a ballroom she would surely have a ring of admirers and friends about her. Darling Belle picked up friends with such ease, they practically followed her home like stray puppies. Being Sir Maurice's daughter, however minor a noble he may be, would be enough to have male fortune hunters forever sniffing about her. Like that insufferable twit, Gaston.

Gold sourly tried to avoid the realization that Gaston had had the courage to ask for Belle. Superficial he might have been, but he possessed a courage even the Dark One lacked. Yes, despite all his power, Rumpelstiltskin had done nothing to win Belle. _She_ had made the deal, made the sacrifice. The fact that she had fallen in love with him he could only ascribe to the blind charity of Luck, Fate, the gods. Whoever or whatever looked out for foolish broken old men with too much power and too little courage to use it properly.


	4. Chapter 4

As the movie wound to a close, the male and female leads shared a dance at the prom. As they did, they spoke of their differences, his immortality as a vampire. For the first time it occurred to Gold that as the Dark One, with life eternal, his own situation had its similarities to that of the milksop of a monster in the film. Belle could live the rest of her life with Rumpelstiltskin, but he could not live the rest of his life with her.

For so long he had thought Belle was lost to him forever. When he had her, he spent every moment wondering when he would lose her again. When she would get fed up with the coward, the bully, the murderer, the monster, and leave him. Never had his imaginings been optimistic enough to suppose that she might choose to stay with him forever. But he couldn't have forever with his Belle. He would lose her: sooner, if he drove her away again, or later when her time came to depart the mortal realms.

Belle turned to remark something on the screen but what it was, she forgot when she noticed the pain on his face. When she slipped her hand into his, he grasped at is convulsively, almost desperately.

"Rumple, what is it?"

He shook his head dismissively, brushing off her concerns and indicated she should turn her attention back to the screen. Pointlessly, as the credits began mere moments later. She sat in silence, watching the words and names flash by. She was sure she hadn't imagined that fleeting look of anguish he had suppressed. Belle wondered if his leg was bothering him. It wouldn't be too surprising in these awkward seats. Belle was not particularly impressed by the comfort of theater. She found herself wishing for a warm sweater as the air conditioning over-performed, and if the weak padding they sat upon was making her lose a bit of feeling in her bum, what must it be doing to his poor leg?

His disability was a bit of a challenge to Belle only for the fact that it was unique to him in this world, to Mr. Gold. She had not known Rumple when he was a mortal man, somewhat lame, before he became the Dark One. The 'monster' was the one she had fallen in love with. Him she knew well; what his goal was, what angered him, how to tell when he was lying, even how he took his tea. But this was a new facet of a man who had otherwise changed little when he came to Storybrooke. Unsure of what she was dealing with she feared to ask him any questions that might offend his pride, already prickly from the vulnerabilities he had to accept living in this magic-less land.

Such vulnerabilities were running through his mind too. The magic of the Dark One wasn't of this land they found themselves in. He doubted his ability to hold back the ravages of time for Belle here. In the Enchanted Forest, he could make her young again with a wave of his fingers. But here? Could he even protect her from an early death, crippled as he was?

They sat in pensive silence as the words and names scrolled. Gold cleared his throat and collected himself, releasing her hand to scrub his damp palms against his trousers. Offering a weak approximation of a smile, he began to explain the various jobs of the production crew. She allowed him the reprieve, asking questions about film-making as they stood and made their way out of the theater. Outside, when she noticed no signs of pain in his gait, her curiosity overcame her.

"Talk to me, Rumple. You must learn to share things with me."

Words of dismissal came readily to his lips but before he could utter them, Belle halted suddenly. In his face she could see the mask fall, the one that he wore to hide weaknesses that might threaten him. He wouldn't give up the tiniest secret without a fight. She stood resolutely on the sidewalk, arms crossed, the afternoon sun lighting her dark hair with a halo of gold. Her expression was stubborn and, if he was correct, a little sad. She was right, of course. He'd lost her once because he had refused to open up to her; he would not let his fears come between them again.

With a nod, he offered his arm to her. Slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow she fell in besides him, her steps flowing and graceful as they kept pace with his hobbled stride.

"Until now, Belle, I don't know that I have ever truly realized that I must do without you someday. That I must... live on after you are gone. I thought you dead once before. It was a very dark time in an already very dark existence." His face was like stone. Here was another difference from the Rumple she knew, who had been exuberantly expressive in both his joys and his rages.

Belle halted once more. This time her hand slid down his arm to grasp his hand, her fingers interlocking with his own. Her eyes swam with emotion and though she swallowed the catch in her throat, it was still hard to speak.

"Rumplestiltskin..."

She had spared little thought to his immortality. His powers were not what drew her to him. Even less time was spent contemplating her own mortality. Intellectually she knew someday death would take her from those she loved, but it was a simple fact of life one had to accept. Words failed her as she wondered at the unique burden Rumplestiltskin bore in living long enough to watch each person he might have cared for wither, grow old, and die.

Gold couldn't stand to see such a look of sadness and sympathy in Belle's eyes. He preferred them alight with saucy laughter. If only she had not caught him in an unguarded moment; he would have spared her the unpleasant thoughts that threatened to dim their lovely day. Gold cursed himself for not responding with a blithe fib. He gave her hand a squeeze and, with a gentle tug, set them strolling once more down the sidewalk.

"Forgive me, dearie." He said. They walked unspeaking for few moments before he turned the subject. "Tell me. What did you think of the cinema?


End file.
